Apartment fire displaces residents

Apartment fire displaces residents

A huge plume of smoke hovers over the Graymere Apartment complex after a fire broke out in a second-story unit about 8:20 a.m. Wednesday. (Courtesy photo submitted by Eric Pinote)

Apartment fire displaces residents

A Columbia Fire Department firefighter stands ready to pour more water on the fire Wednesday at Graymere Apartments in case it spread to the front of the unit to other apartments. (Staff photo by Susan W. Thurman)

Apartment fire displaces residents

Two Columbia Fire Department firefighters climb up to the eve of a Greymere Apartment unit Wednesday to make sure no flame remains in the attic. (Staff photo by Susan W. Thurman)

Apartment fire displaces residents

Columbia Fire Department firefighters spray water on the eve of a Greymere Apartment unit Wednesday as smoke continues to come from the attic area. (Staff photo by Susan W. Thurman)

Apartment fire displaces residents

Flames shoot out of an upper story unit at Graymere Apartments Wednesday, visible from an adjacent complex building. (Courtesy photo by Dana Swift)

By SAMANTHA BALLARD and CHRIS MOORMANStaff Writers

A fire broke out in an upstairs unit of Graymere Apartments on Union Place in Columbia Wednesday morning, leaving several residents without a home.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 8:21 a.m. and poured water on the A Complex building at 1955 Union Place for at least an hour to ensure the flames would not spread to other apartments. Columbia Fire Chief Lee Bergeron said the apartment involved had about 30 percent structure damage and the two apartments below sustained water damage. The other top floor apartment suffered minor smoke damage, Bergeron said.

Amy Johnson lived in the apartment with her two 11-year-old sons, Austin and Dustin. Johnson said she was asleep when her neighbors came to the rescue.

“I heard loud banging on the door from my neighbors, and they told me there was a fire and we had to get out,” Johnson said. “I don’t know how this happened.”

The fire started in a second floor apartment, and flames shot out of the outside balcony and lapped toward the attic. Once the initial flames were put out, firefighters continued to douse the interior of the roof because of fears the fire would spread through the attic.

A neighbor who lives directly beside the affected apartment said he heard no fire alarms go off in the building as the blaze occurred. He woke up to the sound of a CFD fire truck pulling up to the complex.

“I went out on my balcony and saw a fireman pointing at me, and he told me to get down,” Craig Vandekrol said. “So I grabbed some socks, and I got out of there.”

Jenna Surrago, an employee at Graymere Apartments, said they were “not at liberty to talk” about the fire, and referred The Daily Herald to Freeman Webb Companies, which owns the apartment complex. A message was left for Kirby Davis, the company’s chief operating officer, but Davis was out of the office for the day.

A plume of smoke was visible from further away than the Columbia Mall.

One woman with soot on her face was taken to Maury Regional Medical Center with non-critical injuries, Bergeron said.

Because of the bitter morning cold, with the thermometer at 10 degrees, Columbia Police Lt. Rick Miller said that his department worked with management of the apartment complex to find a place for apartment residents who had been evacuated to wait out the emergency. They are also trying to determine where any residents permanently displaced by the fire will stay.

The American Red Cross arrived at the scene to help apartment residents. At least four people were displaced from their apartments.

Assistant Fire Chief Tony Scott said firefighters were able to rescue Johnson’s cat after the blaze was contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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